Russia’s ambassador to Turkey assassinated by terrorist gunman

Date of publication: 20 12 2016, 11:14

On December 19, Russian Ambassador to Turkey Andrey Karlov was killed by a gunman at an art gallery exhibition opening in Ankara. Three other people were also injured in the attack. The Russian Foreign Ministry has stated that it is treating the attack as an act of terrorism.

“We qualify what happened as a terror attack. We are currently in contact with Turkish authorities who are assuring us that a thorough, comprehensive investigation will be conducted.” Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

Local TV reports that the killer had a Turkish police ID. He showed when entering the exhibition.

The Ambassador was not taken to the hospital immediately after the attack. It was reported that he received medical help on the site first and was rushed to the hospital after that.

“Today is a tragic day in the history of Russian Federation,” Zakharova said in a statement. “Today in Ankara, during a public event, Russian Ambassador Andrey Karlov was shot and, shortly after that, he died.”

In a press statement, the Arab League Council reiterated its condemnation of all forms of terrorism and called on the international community to join efforts to eradicate the scourge, the Youm7 broadcaster reported on Tuesday.

The statement also stressed the need to comply with all the provisions of the Vienna Convention for the protection of diplomatic missions.